"Do you know where I am?" Zhao Yun looked at Wei Ba, his eyes were calm, but with an indescribable warmth.
"I can roughly guess what the prime minister has to do." Wei Ba said sincerely, "If my guess is right, my father and the general are probably here too."
"Well, there's Dahonglu Du Qiong." Zhao Yun stroked his beard, a trace of helplessness flashed in his eyes. "If Uncle Chen hadn't been in Chengdu, I think he should be among them."
"That's right." Wei Ba laughed silently, with a touch of sarcasm: "The Prime Minister must feel very sad. None of the people he can use against me now are his own confidants."
"But you still refused to give him this chance." Zhao Yun looked Wei Ba in the eyes: "Why?"
Wei Ba met Zhao Yun's gaze, was silent for a moment, and suddenly smiled. "Master, I remember you taught me that when fighting the enemy, it is most taboo to fight on the battlefield chosen by the opponent. You must do everything you can to fight on the battlefield of your choice.
Facing the enemy's strength on a given battlefield always comes first. If you want to defeat the enemy and win, you have to fight for strength. In order to fight for strength, sometimes you even have to pay a certain price."
Zhao Yun looked at Wei Ba quietly without saying a word. After Wei Ba finished speaking, he continued: "Do you know what the Prime Minister wants to say to you?"
Wei Ba let out a depressed breath. Zhao Yun was determined that Qingshan would not let go. No matter how he talked, he must ask those words.
"I don't know, but I can roughly guess."
"Then how are you going to answer?"
"If the Prime Minister is asking, I have no intention of answering him. I will make him suspicious and suffocate him to death." Wei Ba straightened up and looked directly at Zhao Yun: "However, since Master wants to ask, I can give you a clear answer.
reply."
Zhao Yun's eyes tightened and he took a breath involuntarily. He raised his head and signaled Wei Ba to wait a moment. Wei Ba nodded and said nothing, waiting for Zhao Yun to be mentally prepared.
Zhao Yun is old after all, and no matter how good his psychological quality is, he does not dare to take it lightly. Based on his lifelong experience of serving Liu Bei and his son, it is impossible for him to accept his own will and become a rebellious minister who usurps the throne, but he is very clear that the person in front of him
** is definitely not a pure minister. In his eyes, Wei Ba not only has the possibility of usurping the throne, but also may have a very famous surname.
He had always wanted to know this answer, but when the answer really appeared in front of him, he found that he was not prepared. If Wei Ba admitted that he had the intention to usurp the throne, what could he do? Summon the spearmen at home.
, beheaded Wei Ba in the hall?
When he entered the door, he saw Wei Ba's personal guards left outside. There were not many of them. If he wanted to kill Wei Ba, he should be 60 to 70% sure. But should he really kill Wei Ba? He
Not sure. He knew very well that it was not entirely his own responsibility that Wei Ba had reached this point. To a certain extent, he was forced to this point by Zhuge Liang. Wei Ba had no ambition at all, otherwise he would not have any ambitions at all.
He will not accept him as his disciple and teach him the art of war and martial arts.
After a while, Zhao Yun said slowly: "Ziyu, please tell me."
"Master, are you sure?" Wei Ba raised the corners of his mouth slightly, looking a little more naughty. When Zhao Yun saw this, he felt inexplicably relieved and couldn't help but smile: "Don't worry, even though I am old, I can still bear it."
"That's good, I'm afraid of scaring Master." Wei Ba pretended to pat his chest. "Master, I dare not say it from a distance. I can only say that so far, I have no interest in that position.
However, I can only guarantee so far, and no one can guarantee what will happen in the future. I think even if I guarantee it, you probably won’t believe it.”
Zhao Yun's gray eyebrows trembled slightly. Wei Ba's answer was not what he expected. In his opinion, Wei Ba's answer had two possibilities, either yes or no. Even if Wei Ba admitted to his face that he had a disobedient heart,
He would only feel disappointed, not surprised. Maybe Wei Ba denied it, but he would doubt Wei Ba's sincerity.
But Wei Ba gave him such an answer.
Zhao Yun thought for a while and had to admit that although Wei Ba's answer did not satisfy him, it was sincere enough. If Wei Ba wanted to lie to him, he could have said it more beautifully. There was no need to leave such a painless one.
consequences.
"Then do you want to be king?"
"I think." Wei Ba nodded without thinking.
Zhao Yun looked at Wei Ba, waiting for Wei Ba to give him an explanation.
"Master, judging from the current situation, do you think it is appropriate to reduce the vassal status?"
Zhao Yun hesitated for a moment and shook his head.
"In Master's opinion, is it easier to force Cao Rui to take the imperial title on the condition of recognizing the title of King Cao Wei, or is it easier to drive Cao Wei out and kill them all?"
Zhao Yun stroked his beard and pondered for a long time: "If we have to compare, it should be easier to retain the title of King of Wei."
"If that's the case, then why can't I be the king?" Wei Ba spread his hands and said: "The King of Wu can keep Wu County as a fief, and the King of Wei can keep Wei County or Qiao County as a fief. Why can't I ask for a desert island as a fief?
If I become king, it will only make Sun Quan and Cao Rui feel at ease, and it can speed up the unification of the world, so why not?"
"However, once this case is opened, I'm afraid..."
"Are you afraid of being in trouble for the great righteousness?" Wei Ba sneered: "Master, do you really believe in those so-called righteousness? Do you believe it or not, if one day I really have the strength to usurp the throne and replace Han, countless people will take the initiative to do it for me.
Make up prophecies and contribute auspiciousness?"
"This..." Zhao Yun was speechless.
Wei Ba's calmness was certainly a sign of his trust and respect for him, but it also pushed him to a desperate situation. It's not like he didn't know what was going on. As Wei Ba said, if one day comes, the so-called morality is basically
A lie that deceives oneself and others. How did Liu Bei
How did he become the emperor when he established himself as the king of Hanzhong? How many auspicious things appeared before Cao Pi took over the Han Dynasty are all living examples. Even if he lives to his age, although he still hopes that there is morality in the world, he really has to believe that morality is invincible.
Then his seventy years have been in vain.
Righteousness and benefit have always been an unclear proposition. No matter how righteous it is in words, when it is implemented in reality and faced with real benefit, righteousness is always so weak, illusory, and unbearable.
One blow.
Zhao Yun sighed and waved his hand: "Ziyu, I am old and weak. However, I really don't want to see the strong man's virtue extinguished in front of my eyes. I hope you won't destroy this little hope of mine. Wait until I close my eyes.
, whatever fate is, I can’t control that much.”
Wei Ba smiled slightly: "Master, I can guarantee this." He smiled and said: "I hope you can live to be a hundred years old and see the world unified, the country peaceful and the people safe."
Zhao Yun laughed dumbly and shook his head repeatedly. "Seventy years are rare in life. I am already over seventy. I am satisfied and dare not expect too much. Being old and not dying is a thief. I don't want to be an old thief who is not dying."
"How can the master be an old thief? The master is very popular."
Zhao Yun laughed for a while, then sighed: "So, the war in Liaodong is inevitable?"
"Yes." Wei Ba also became serious and nodded: "Counting from the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the world has been in chaos for fifty years, and the Year of Jiazi is coming soon. I hope to end the war before then and restore peace to the world.
To achieve peace, let the people live a peaceful life first, and then
The saying "A year of age brings good fortune to the world" has become a reality. I have no ability to eradicate the struggle for power in the court. I only hope to control these things in the court and not affect the lives of ordinary people. They have not benefited from it.
Nor should he be implicated."
Hearing the words "A year old, the world will be prosperous", Zhao Yun sighed sadly and inexplicably.
…
Zhuge Liang was carried into the gate of Zhuge Manor on a soft chariot, passed through the courtyard, and reached the backyard.
Huang Yueying directed the servants, helped Zhuge Liang to lie down on the bed, waved the servants away, sat beside Zhuge Liang's bed, held Zhuge Liang's withered hand in her hand, and looked at the exhausted Zhuge Liang in silence, motionless.
Zhuge Zhan and Zhuge Pan stood aside, with tears on their faces.
"Madam, I am really old." Zhuge Liang slowly opened his eyes and let out a long sigh: "Not only is my body old, my mind is also old."
"You have tried your best." Huang Yueying patted Zhuge Liang's hand: "Don't think too much, rest in peace and recover."
"But, my work... is not finished yet."
"Then you should rest peacefully and recuperate." Huang Yueying said reproachfully: "With what you are like now, what else can you do?"
"Madam..." Zhuge Liang turned his head and looked at Huang Yueying pleadingly: "I want to see Wei Ba, and I want him to promise me personally."
"You want to see him, but he may not want to see you." Huang Yueying frowned, "You moved back from the palace just to make it easier to see him, right? Do you really think everything will be fine if he agrees to you?"
Zhuge Liang did not answer, but his eyes had revealed his thoughts. Wei Ba's performance today was beyond his expectation, and the ominous premonition in his heart became stronger and stronger. When Zhao Yun and others left, he was almost gone
He was disheartened. It wasn't until Wei Yan knelt in front of him that he realized there was still a last glimmer of hope.
He was like a drowning man clinging to a straw, refusing to give up easily even though he knew it would be of no use. Knowing that words were like wind and oaths were lies, he still hoped to hear Wei Ba's promise.
Now even this unreliable promise seemed so slim. Wei Ba refused to see him at all. After finally meeting him, Wei Ba didn't give him a chance to speak. He punched him and defeated his carefully planned game.
It was a mess and a mess.
However, the more this happened, the more strongly he hoped to see Wei Ba and convince Wei Ba. The mental scheming displayed by Wei Ba was unmatched by Jiang Wei. If he could persuade him to give up those ideas that he shouldn't have, his ability
It is enough to support the sky of the Han Dynasty, and Li Yan and his like are not worth mentioning at all. And if he is allowed to develop like this, the extinguishing of the fire of the Han Dynasty will be inevitable.
He wants to prevent this disaster from happening at all costs.